Rail-joint.



No. 792,363. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905'. P. P. STRAUSER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 29, 1905.

UNITED kSTATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT GFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,363, dated J une 13, 1905.

Application filed January 28, 1905. Serial No. 243.116.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN P. STRAUsER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Charleroi, in the county of Vashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints, and more particularly to that type wherein the use of nuts and bolts is dispensed with.

This invention has for its object the provision of novel means for firmly securing the confronting ends of two rail-sections together, whereby any lateral movement of either railsection will be prevented and the vibratory stresses encountered by the rail-sections decreased.

Briefly described, my improved rail-joint comprises two fish-plates or splice-bars having interlocking base portions, and a pin is employed for locking said base portions together. The locking means which I employ is exceedingly simple in construction and can be readily manipulated by a workman to remove one or both of the fish-plates.

The locking means of my improved railjoint requires no instruments whatever, such as wrenches, to manipulate the locking means.

The rail-joint in its entirety is extremely simple in construction, strong and durable, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above construction in view,which will be hereinafter more fully described, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of my improved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the members comprising my improved joint. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a member adapted to be interlocked with the member illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a locking-pin. Fig.

6 is an end view, partly in perspective, of the member constructed in accordance with my invention and adapted to be used in connection with frogs and switches; and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same.

To put my invention into practice, I employ the ordinary type of rails in present use and dispense with the use of the apertures formed in the web portions of said rails, which have heretofore been used in connection with bolts and nuts for securing the confronting' ends of two rail-sections together.

I employ two members 1 and 2, which are substantially in the shape in cross-section of a fish-plate, and as such they will be hereinafter termed. The outer Hange 3 of each lishplate is provided with a base portion 4, upon which the base of the rail is adapted to rest. The base portion 4 of the member lis cut away, as indicated at 5 5, forming outwardlyextending lugs 6 6, and each lug is slotted, as indicated at 7. The outer walls of these slots are recessed, as indicated at 8, the object of which will be presently described. The base portion 4 of the member 2 is cut away, as indicated at 9 9, forming lugs 10 10, which are alternately arranged in respect to the lugs 6 6 of the member 1, whereby they will seat or fit into the cut-away portion 5 5 of the member 1. The lugs 1() l0 are slotted, as indicated at 11 11, said slots corresponding in cross-sections to the slots 7 of the lugs 6 6. The upper portion of the lugs 10 10, forming the inner faces of the slots 11 11, are partially cut away, as indicated at l2 l2.

In securing and locking the members 1 and 2 together a pin 14 is employed, which is placed upon the shoulders formed by the recesses 8 8 of the member 1, and the member 2 is then moved into engagement with the member 1, the lugs 10 l() positioning in the cut-away portions 5 5 of the base portion 4of the member 1. This positioning of the member 2 permits the slots 11 and 7 to horizontally aline, at which time the pin 14 is moved from the recesses 8 8 to the slots 7 and 1l ofV the members 1 and 2, respectively. The pin 14 is adapted to lock said members together, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, said pin holding each of the fish-plates into close TOO engagement with the web portions of the adjoining rail-sections and firmly bracing said rails and preventing any lateral movement of one rail independently of the other.

The flanges 3 3 of the fish-plates are cut away, forming slots 1515, in which spikes may be placed to be driven into ties 16 16, adapted to support the ends of the adjoining rail-sections- In Figs. 6 and 7 oi' the drawings I have illustrated a member adapted for use in connection with frogs and switches, and this member is formed of a substantial] y triangular block 17 the angular sides of which are formed similarly to the side of the member 1, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. This member is employed for supporting two sections ot' track, which converge to a point or switch-tongue, and fish-plates or members similar to the one illustratedin Fig. 4 of the drawings are employed for securing the rail-sections in the block 17.

From the `foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be observed that a trackman or workman can quickly remove either member of my improved rail-joint when it is necessary to remove either rail-section, and in this connection it will be noted that .it is only necessary to remove one of said members in order to disengage one of the rail-sections.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rail-joint, two fish-plates each provided with enlarged base portions, and one of which has lugs projecting from the inner face of said base portion, said lugs being spaced apart, and provided with shoulders and recesses, the other of said fish-plates having projecting lugs on the inner face of its base portion to engage between the projecting lugs of the rst-mentioned fish-plate, and having recesses to aline with the recesses in the firstmentioned lugs, and a pin engaging in the recesses of all the lugs to lock the fish-plates together, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, a pair of fish-plates each having an enlarged base portion, a pair of lugs projecting from the inner face of the base portion of one {ish-plate, said lugs being spaced apart, and having shoulders and alined recesses, the other of said iish-plates having a pair of recessed lilgs projecting from the inner face of its enlarged base portion and adapted to enter between the lugs of the iirstmentioned fish-plate, and a locking-pin lying within the recesses of all the lugs to lock the plates together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iafx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN P. STRAUSER.

Witnesses:

H. C. EvER'r, JAS. V. McMAs'rERs. 

